E-Paper
PhD students demand cancellation of fee hike by SPPU
The Savitribai Phule Pune University’s (SPPU’s) decision to double the fees for PhD programmes from this academic year has not gone down well with students and student unions
The Savitribai Phule Pune University’s (SPPU’s) decision to double the fees for PhD programmes from this academic year has not gone down well with students and student unions. It is felt that when most students have already been struggling financially for the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the hike will only worsen their plight. So much so that students have now demanded cancellation of the fee hike even as student unions have warned of a protest if the decision is not rescinded.
According to a recent circular issued by the SPPU pertaining to PhD programmes, the annual fees for PhD have increased by Rs3,500 while the coursework fees have increased by around Rs5,000. So, total PhD fees starting this academic year will be Rs26,000 instead of Rs13,500 in 2020-21 if the hike is implemented. The hike includes gymkhana and NSS fees.
Tushar Patil Nimbhorekar, a research student, rued, “The SPPU’s decision is wrong and that too when the students are getting stable after a gap of two years. Most of us have suffered financially and some of us have lost our parents or family members so this hike in fees is illegal. Our demand therefore is to immediately cancel the fee hike for which we have submitted our demand letter to the SPPU pro vice-chancellor.”
Whereas one of the senior office-bearers from the university’s administration department on condition of anonymity said, “The hike was announced before the pandemic but was put on hold due to Covid-19 and students are now taking objection. Rather than cancelling the fee hike for this academic year, we will explore alternate options.”
